Base structure for jacks



May 14, 1946. B. F. JOHNSON BASE STRUCTURE FOR JACKS Filed Jan. 22, 1945 Patented May 14, 1946 BASE STRUCTURE FoRJAoKs Benjamin F. Johnson, Racine, Wis., assignor to Walker Manufacturing Company of Wisconsin Racine, Wis., a corporation of Wisconsin V 1 Application January 22, 1945, Serial No. 573,8 5f1g 1 5Claims. The present invention relates tojjack struc tures, and is particularly directed tothe-provision of an improved economicallymanufactured base structure welladaptedior use in connection with jacks forautomotive vehicles. V a

Principal objectsof the present invention are to provide a base structure of the above indicated type which is simple in arrangement, economical of manufacture and assembly and which is rugged and durable to provide, 5 1911 structure whichisbuilt up from a plurality of stampings and which embodies imprq'wed reinforcing means; and to provide" such a structure wherein. the reinforcing is accomplished-by striking reinforcing elements, from muons of ,the stampings which make up thebody of the base structure. w v

With the above as'iwell' as other and more detailed'objects in view which appear inthe followingdescription and in the appended I claims, preferred' but illustrativeembodiments of the inventionareshown in the accompanying drawing; throughout ;the several views of which correspondingreference characters are used to designate corresponding parts and in which: I

Figure 1; is a view in sideelevation of the improved structure;

Figure 2 is a View in horizontal section taken along the line 2-2 of Figure 1. v

Figure 3 is a view in vertical section, taken along the line 33 of Figure 2 and:

Figure 4 is a view in vertical section, taken along the line 4-4 of Figure 3.

It will be appreciated from a complete understanding of the present invention that in a generic sense, the improvements thereof may. be embodied in jack structures of various different constructions, and designed for various difierent applications. The illustrated construction is one which is particularly adapted for automotive use.

In the drawing, the illustrated jack structure, is of the ratchet type, known to the automotive trade as a bumper jack, and comprises a load supporting rack bar [2, a lifting head I4 which is adjustable therealong, and the present improved base structure IB, to which the rack bar I2 is releasably connected. Lifting head l4 may be of entirely conventional construction, and the bar I2 is illustrated as embodying the invention described and claimed in the copending application of Melvin G. Ward, Serial No. 573,933, filed January 22, 1945. Briefly stated, rack bar I 2 is of tubular form, specifically rectangular, and is provided along one face with a series of sheared teeth 18 for cooperation with the usual ratchet elementswhich are carriedby the lifting head I4, the body whereof surrounds the .bar l2.

, In accordance withlthe, present invention; the

base l6 consists of only three elements, all whereof may be and preferably are, formed from in.-1

itially flat stock, by usual drawing: and-piercing operations. More particularly and as.r. most' clearly appears in Figures 3.and,.4,'- the base I6 is composed of a base plate 20, of generally. rectangular form,'an upper vplate 22, and a rackbar receiving socket 24, adjacent; its corners, the upper plate 22 is provided with downwardly projecting bosses 2 6, which function as shortleglikesupports, so as to. maintain the balance of the base structure iirslightly elevated relation within the marginal edge of the base plateZO.

The rack'bar receiving socket 24 is of generally rectangular shape, so that it freely but snugly receives the correspondingly shaped rack bar I2. One wall of socket 24 is provided with a groove 32, which receives a nib or boss 34 which projects radially outwardly from the corresponding face of the bar l2, immediately adjacent the lower end of the latter. With this arrangement, bar 12 will fit into socket 24 in only one rotative position, for a reason mentioned below.

The base 36 of socket 24 is provided with a flanged opening, the flange 38 whereof passes through a correspondingly shaped opening in the base plate 20, and is outwardly turned as indicated at- 40 to secure the socket to the base plate. At its upper end, socket 2-4 is provided with an outwardly turned annular flange 42,

which serves to positively secure the upper end of the socket in fixed position relative to the correspondingly shaped opening provided for the socket in the upper plate 22.

It will be noticed that the socket 24 and consequently the rack bar, though located on the cen ter line of base I6, as viewed in Figure 4, is eccentrio with respect to the center line on which Figure 3 is taken as a section. Moreover, the base I6 projects considerably further from the rack bar, on the side at which the load receiving lug l4a of the lifting head I4 is located. It will be understood that loads applied to the lug l4a tend to rotate the rack bar l2 in a counterclockwise direction, about the base l6, as viewed in Figures 1 and 3. It is for this reason that it is preferred to attach the rack bar to the base in the justmentioned off center relation.

A feature of the invention resides in the provision of a simplified means for reinforcing the base so as to enable it to better withstand the just-mentioned effect of the loads applied to the rack bar. More particularly, and as shown in the present arrangement, the reinforcement takes the form of a pair of ribs 50 and 52, which are struck from the body of the plate 22 and the base plate 20 respectively. Rib 50 projects upwardly and outwardly from the surface of the plate 22, and its end engages the socket 24 at the junction between the sidewall and the flange thereof. Rib 52 extends inwardly of the body of the base, and engages the face of the socket 24 which is opposite to the face engaged by the rib 50. It

will be noticed that the rotative forces applied to the rack bar are in the directions indicated by the small arrows a andb in Figure 3, andthat these forces are effectively resisted by the reinforced base structure.

Although only a single embodiment of the invention has been described in detail, it will be appreciated that various modifications in the form, numbenand arrangement of the parts may be made without departing from thespirit and scope of the invention.

What is claimed is: V

1.- In a base structure for a lifting mechanism or the like, a base member, an upper member defining a downwardly presenting cavity, said members being secured together so that said base member at least'in part closes off said cavity, said upper member being apertured, and a supporting socket member passed through said aperture,-said socket member shaped to engage with the material surrounding said aperture, and being se'curedto the said base member to thereby interlock said socket member with said upper member and said base member.

2. I'he structure of claim 1, the socket member being adapted to receive a lifting member which is loaded in such a way as to tend to cant the lifting member in the socket, and wherein at least certain of said base and upper members are provided with strut-like elements which act against said socket member to reinforce the structure against such canting forces.

3. A base structure for a lifting device or the like. comprising va base member formed as a stamping, ,an upper member-formed as a stamping and defining a downwardly presenting cavity, said members bein secured together so that the base member at least partially closes off said cavity, a socket member having an elongated socket positioned in said cavity and secured to said members sothat the socket extends lengthwise between the twoimembers, at least certain of said base and upper members having strut-like reinforcing-element's struck from the bodies thereof and engaging the side of said socket intermediate the ends thereof, for reinforcing the structure.

4. The structure of claim 3 wherein both said base and upper membersare provided with'said strut-like reinforcing elements, the element for said upper member engaging the socket at one side of the latter andthe element for the base member engaging the socket at the other side of the latter, a

5. A- base structure for a jack comprising a stampedbase member, an upper member'formed as a stamping to define a downwardly presenting cavityand having an opening in the base of the cavity, said membersbeing secured together so that the base mei nber at least partially closes off the cavity, a socket element having an elongated socket therein; said element being secured in said cavity with its base connected to the base member and with its upper portion shaped to engage said upper member around said opening, said upper memberhaving a reinforcing rib struck from the bodythereofand engaging said socket at one side of the latter, and said base member having a reinforcing rib struck from the body thereof and engaging said socket member at the one side thereof. I

, BENJAMIN F. JOHNSON. 

